Use One Unexpected Breakfast Food To Banish Unwanted Fridge Odors

There are a few different causes for a suddenly smelly fridge, and you may need to do a bit of detective work to determine the stink source. When it gets warm out, the fridge might not be cold enough, causing food spoilage that will eventually smell. The instant fix is to lower the temperature, and then you might want to use a flashlight to check your refrigerator's efficiency. However, the underlying cause of unpleasant odors is bacteria and mold, which usually arise from humidity or moisture from the food itself or condensation inside the fridge. And the completely unexpected breakfast food that banishes these unwanted odors is oatmeal.

Yes, oatmeal performs a function of odor removal similar to baking soda. Let's say you happen to be out of baking soda, and to raise the stakes, you've got company coming over tomorrow. If you have a carton of uncooked oatmeal, you might want to place uncovered oatmeal in the fridge to start its absorbing magic.

All you need is uncooked oats and a bowl. Toss some oats into the bowl and place it near the problem area. Leave it in for several days. It's worth noting that there are other actions you'll need to take beyond this, such as removing any rotting food or milk that's gone bad from the fridge and then deodorizing that area. Remove sticky fridge stains (while also disinfecting) using ingredients you already have, and that will further reduce odors.

We don't recommend eating the oatmeal once it's done its deodorizing duty. When you're ready to discard it, another perk is that it's completely non-toxic. You can compost the oats or flush them down the toilet. Fun fact: In the shipping and transportation industry, it's well-known that oatmeal is sensitive to odors. When they're being transported as cargo, the cargo holds must be completely odor-free so the cereal won't absorb chemical smells.